Pope Francis said Thursday he was “deeply saddened” at the death of Queen Elizabeth II, offering prayers for her “eternal rest” and for her son Charles as he becomes king.
In a personal telegram to the new monarch, the head of the Catholic Church paid tribute to the queen’s “life of unstinting service… her example of devotion to duty, her steadfast witness of faith in Jesus Christ”, and, addressing the new Charles III, “I invoke an abundance of divine blessings as a pledge of comfort and strength in the Lord”.
